Union, Michigan Corrections clash over claims of contractor having sex with inmate

6:16 PM, January 15, 2014

The state's decision to eliminate about 370 state jobs and award a $145-million, three-year contract to Philadelphia-based Aramark has been marked with ongoing controversy. / Marcin Szczepanski/Detroit Free Press

Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau

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LANSING — The Michigan Department of Corrections and the union representing about 7,000 corrections officers were sharply at odds Wednesday over the privatization of prison food services, with the union saying contractors are creating security and safety risks and the department insisting minor problems are being resolved as they arise.

Tom Tylutki, president of the Michigan Corrections Organization, detailed a litany of concerns in a letter Monday to department Director Dan Heyns, saying Aramark Correctional Services employees are having sex with inmates, who are getting easier access to knives and potentially dangerous tools.

“There are overfamiliarity complaints, contraband issues, tons of no call/no shows and a complete disregard to the handling of critical tools such as knives,” Tylutki said in the letter, written less than six weeks after the contract began.

“The untrained Aramark employees’ behavior is compromising the security of our prisons, and it places staff and prisoners in danger.”

Russ Marlan, a spokesman for the department, said an incident of “overfamiliarity” between an Aramark employee and an inmate occurred at the Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson, but “certainly not as described in the letter,” which said the employee and inmate were having sex.

“I will stipulate that some of the incidents highlighted are true; some are embellished a bit, and some are not true,” Marlan said in an e-mail to the Free Press.

“We were aware of each and every one of these situations, and they were effectively dealt with by facility wardens and contract monitors,” Marlan said.

“We have eight state employee contract monitors working across Michigan ensuring that Aramark complies with all requirements under the contract.”

Karen Cutler, an Aramark spokeswoman, said: “We are committed to ensuring the safety of our employees, officers, staff and inmates and provide all employees with training on proper procedures and protocols.”

At Ionia Correctional Facility, the letter said, Aramark employees were not locking the cutting rooms and “allowing inmates to go into the tool locker with them, even though inmates are prohibited from entering that area.”

Marlan confirmed there have been isolated incidents similar to what was described in the letter, but denied there is any ongoing problem. There have been no reports of missing knives, he said.

“We meet with high-level managers at Aramark on a regular basis and discuss problems and concerns,” he said. “I would disagree with (the union’s) statement that Aramark has a disregard for the safety of our correctional facilities.”

The state’s decision to eliminate about 370 state jobs and award a $145-million, three-year contract to Philadelphia-based Aramark has been marked with ongoing controversy.

The state estimates the contract will save taxpayers about $12 million to $16 million a year.

But the original state analysis of bids from Aramark and other vendors concluded that privatizing the food service would not save enough money to justify the change. Only after Republican lawmakers complained did officials in the Department of Technology, Management and Budget acknowledge errors in their analysis, and Aramark was allowed to amend its original offer where the revised savings estimates were produced.

In May, the Free Press reported that state auditors in Florida and Kentucky had accused Aramark of overbilling and skimping on food in connection with prison contracts there. And a Kentucky lawmaker blamed a 2009 prison riot on poor food service by Aramark.

Aramark has not directly responded to questions about those issues but repeatedly has said it looks forward to providing quality service in Michigan.

The corrections officers union does not represent the former food service workers, who were represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Marlan said “more than 10” Aramark employees have been barred from entering state prisons since the contract began. But he said that happens periodically with corrections officers and most of the problems cited have arisen in the past with food service workers who were state employees.

Much of the absenteeism was related to severe winter storms in late December, he said.

But Tylutki said a major problem appears to be training, which “pales by comparison to that which state employees receive.”

“Safety, security and well-trained employees are paramount in running a prison,” Tylutki said. “Profits and maintaining the bottom line cannot be the primary goal of the department.”

Marlan said: “Heyns’ top priority is protecting the public and ensuring the safety of our staff.”